Richard Gere’s Oscars speech didn’t go down well with the Chinese government, as he was subsequently banned from entering the country for life. Instead of trying to make amends with the nation’s officials, however, he continued to protest against the regime, even calling on the Chinese government to address its history of human rights abuses in the lead-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. This didn’t help him mend any fences.
Furthermore, Gere believes his views on China have forced him to focus on independent projects. Reflecting on his career in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he revealed that the biggest entities in entertainment won’t touch him as they rely on their movies performing well in the Eastern country, and he’s too much of a risk to gamble on.
In the same interview, Gere elaborated on how the China ban has affected his indie projects as well. The “Chicago” alum said he was supposed to star in a low-key flick, only for the film’s Chinese director to turn him down, fearing that his family would be forbidden from leaving the country. Despite this, Gere continues to advocate for human rights and has remained true to his beliefs.
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